The present invention is in the field of playground systems and video game systems. More particularly, the invention relates to digitally integrated playground and play-structure systems.
There are only a few inventions in the area of digitally-integrated playground systems. None involve the use of mobile computing devices for motion analysis and feedback, nor do they integrate physical play with a virtual game system. Instead, these inventions detect the motion of equipment, not of a user. For example, US Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2009/0197740 utilizes a physically installed ‘processing unit’ which receives signals from playground equipment. Motion sensors reside on the playground equipment, sensing motion of the equipment not that of the user. US Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2009/0105001 also uses sensors attached to the playground equipment to detect equipment motion and generate acoustical tones. It provides no other feedback to the user.
A need exists for a play structure system that allows the user to interact with a fixed physical play structure, detects the motion of a user relative to that play structure, connects that motion to a virtual world or game system, and helps motivate the user to physically play on the play structure for a predetermined amount of time or move between different play structures within a predetermined amount of time.